Posts Tagged ‘San Diego Photography’
Scripps Seaside Forum Wedding, La Jolla
The Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla is such a beautiful place to get married, especially if you want to have your wedding right on the beach! Its modern architecture, incredible textures, and unobstructed ocean views make it the perfect spot for a San Diego Destination Wedding. This was definitely the case for Lindsay & Luke, who actually live in the bay area, but wanted to have their wedding in San Diego where Lindsay grew up! We really loved the bright colors of the bouquets paired with perfect pink bridesmaids dresses. Luke’s khaki suit really made him stand out among his groomsmen.
We started out with getting ready shots at the Empress Hotel in La Jolla Cove before heading over to the Scripps Seaside Forum. This is the kind of inspiring location that we could photograph a hundred times and still have new options for portraits! The grassy ceremony area overlooks the ocean and is backed by a row of giant palm trees, all of which gave it a perfect relaxed San Diego feel.
After the ceremony, we had the opportunity to take them down the beach to the Scripps Pier, which is famous among landscape photographers for it’s clean, symmetrical concrete columns that seem to disappear into an infinity of white over the ocean. We love shooting romantic portraits with couples like Lindsay & Luke… it was so easy to tell that the rest of the world just drops away when they look into each other’s eyes!
One of our favorite wedding trends is when couples incorporate elements from their culture into the details of the day. To celebrate Lindsay’s Japanese heritage, they had 1000 colorful origami cranes (for good luck) hanging on a tree, a Banzai to represent her brother who was there in spirit, and an awesome authentic japanese steel drum performance.
Location: Scripps Seaside Forum
Coordinator: Bliss Events
Catering: Crown Point Catering
Officiant: Bethel Nathan
Ceremony Musician/Reception DJ: Michael Tiernan
Hair & Makeup: Flora Wade
Limo: LJ Transportation
Coronado Tidelands Park, Star of the Sea Event Center Wedding
One of the best outdoor ceremony locations in San Diego to take advantage of the amazing cityscape is Tidelands Park on Coronado Island. Located a short walk away from the ferry landing, this park is a little oasis of greenery, blue skies, and uninterrupted city views! Bre’s mom also happens to be a planner, and we were blown away by the gorgeous details awaiting us at the Star of the Sea reception. We especially loved the delectable sweets in blue and green, accents of sparkly gems, and the uber-creative custom seating chart featuring images from our Engagement Session!
Congrats Bre and Eddy and thank you to the fantastic vendors who made this wedding such a treat!
Vendors:
Torrey Pines Gliderport Engagement Session
We love shooting engagement sessions in new or different places, so we decided to go to a somewhat hidden spot called Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla. It’s an excellent alternative to shooting at the much more popular (read: crowded) Torrey Pines State Reserve, especially on weekends. There is a really cute grassy hill behind the glider launch that overlooks the cliffs and is perfect for photos with lots of blue skies and simple green grass… it reminds me of warm summer days, flying a kite, or running through the sprinklers as a child. After shooting some playful photos on the hill, we made our way down the path to the beach for more romantic images as the sun set.
Rachel is a fantastic wedding coordinator with AR Affairs, and we’ve had the pleasure of working with her on quite a few weddings. She is always hard-working, very professional, and extremely organized. We quickly realized that she was head over heels in love with Tyler, as he definitely brings out a whole new side of her! She was constantly giggling, smiling ear to ear, and couldn’t take her hands of that tall, dark, and handsome man of hers! Although being a male model wasn’t exactly on Tyler’s list of hobbies, he totally worked it for the camera!!!
Keep an eye out for the upcoming blog post about their beautiful wedding at the Catamaran Resort in Mission Bay!
Wayfarer’s Chapel Wedding, Rancho Palos Verdes & Hotel Portofino Yacht Club
As you drive toward Rancho Palos Verdes, the tension of the larger cities gives way to a relaxed, almost magically natural environment. Thanks to Lillian & Mike, we were able to discover the beauty that exists at the Wayfarer’s Chapel by the sea. It was designed in the early 1970′s by Lloyd Wright (Frank Lloyd Wright’s son) to be a natural sanctuary in the midst of a beautiful forest, allowing visitors to be closely connected to the trees, sky, and surrounding environment. What a perfect location to hold a wedding for such a down-to-earth couple!
From the moment that Mike first saw Lillian, he was head-over-heels in love with her. He was totally blown away by how gorgeous she was!!! They had originally planned to hang out for a couple hours on their first date, but it turned into an all-day event and they couldn’t get enough of one another! From that day forward, they’ve been completely inseparable. It is so cool to see a couple that is always on the same wave-length, and so lovingly supportive of one another. We really look forward to hanging out with them as both our families grow! ;)
On the wedding day, Lillian just glowed– the sunlight illuminated her bird cage veil as she posed for bridal photos in the lush gardens outside the Chapel. Mike was nervous, but that gave way to pure joy the moment he saw Lillian arrive and walk down the aisle toward him! We especially love the zen-like feel of the trees rising above the altar, framed perfectly by the glass windows of the chapel. The dappled light coming through the trees made exposures very contrasty, but the shadows served to make our wide shots even more dramatic. It would be so fun to shoot weddings here at various times of day, as there would be a completely different feel depending on where the sun/moon are! One of my very favorite shots was the moment after they were married when Mike stopped to wipe is forehead as if to say “whew, I am glad that is over!” Classic.
We wish Lillian & Mike our best as they embark on adventures in parenthood with their new little boy!
Locations:
Estancia Hotel, La Jolla Wedding
Estancia La Jolla is definitely one of our favorite locations to photograph a wedding in San Diego. It has a timeless feel that reflects casual elegance in such a seemingly effortless way that you can’t help but get caught up in its beauty. The grounds are perfectly designed with weddings in mind, as there are many hallways with columns that create dramatic natural light, wonderfully landscaped gardens, and beautiful mission styled architecture. In short, it is a photographer’s dream!
Not that any of this was necessary to make our awesome couple Ala & Uly look good- they certainly do that all on their own! They really worked it for the camera and had a great sense of humor, too. With help from their very talented wedding planner/coordinator Alexandra (from AR Affairs), they created a unique nature theme with bird’s nest accents, moss and twig center pieces, and excellent uplighting. They were able to turn what would have been a somewhat non-descript wall into a stunning backdrop that created a very romantic ambiance for their reception. Another fun detail that really stood out to us was the ice cream bar – JUST LIKE COLD STONE (!) – where guests picked their flavor and toppings and had their tasty treat blended on a stone slab as they watched. We’d also like to give a shout out to Pink Star Design for their perfectly elegant menus and place cards which added a very stylish touch!
It truly was a pleasure to shoot for Ala & Uly and to work with all of their excellent vendors!!!
Coordinator: AR Affairs
Cake: Sweet Cheeks Baking Company
Menus/Place Cards: Pink Star Design
Flowers: Artistic Florals
DJ: DJ Cito C
Linens: Concept Event Design
Catering & Venue: Estancia Hotel, La Jolla
The Westgate Hotel, El Cortez Reception, and Grace Lutheran
If you’ve spent any amount of time in San Diego, you will have heard about what locals call “June Gloom.” Basically there is a time period right around June when you would think that the weather would be absolutely perfect in San Diego… however, it actually tends to be overcast and cloudy! This was the case for Katie & Tim’s wedding, but with good planning, we were able to shoot in locations that worked really well with the weather.
We started out at The Westgate Hotel for getting ready, bridal party photos, and romantic portraits. The Westgate is a luxurious hotel decorated in 18th century style — it has a refined elegance that is perfectly suited for weddings! Shane took the guys down to the USS Midway for groomsmen portraits (the guys are almost all in the Navy- thanks for your service!). After that, we all met up at Grace Lutheran Church for the beautiful ceremony. One of the things we love about shooting with the Canon 5D MKII in conjunction with fast L-series Canon prime lenses is that we were able to shoot 90% of the ceremony with no flash at all!
The reception was held at the El Cortez Hotel. I absolutely love the intricate ceiling detail and polished black floors in the Don Room. The light was just gorgeous coming in through the windows, creating reflections across the floor for the first dance. It’s a very beautiful venue at night, but we really loved how the light filled the room in the afternoon, creating a truly romantic ambiance.
Hotel Del Coronado & Breakers Beach San Diego Wedding
You know that feeling when you first dating someone that you really like? You get butterflies in your stomach, you light up when you hear their voice on the phone, and you just can’t wait see them again… Well, that is what Tiffany & Alan are like ALL THE TIME! They have this fresh, sweet, joyful way about their affection toward one another… you can’t help but get caught up in the romance of it!
We started out at the Hotel Del Coronado for getting ready, family, and romantic portraits. After that, the bridal party hopped in a classic Old Town Wedding Trolley and rode over to Breaker’s Beach for the ceremony and reception. We loved how (instead of holding the ceremony on the deck) they invited guests to kick off their shoes and relax so-cal style for the gorgeous beach ceremony– now that’s how we do it in San Diego! Subtle details like the seashell lined aisle, beautiful candy bar, and bright color palette all came together so well to perfectly match the light breeze coming off the ocean.
Special thanks to all the vendors who made this beautiful wedding happen:
- Wedding coordinator: Yvonne Prout with California Party Divas
- Minister: Rev. Alan Ernst
- Ceremony Music: Russ Zinser
- Florist: Haydee’s Creative Flowers
- Reception Music: Primo DJs
- Catering: Navy Catering
- Cake: Sylvia’s Cakes
- Hair & make-up: Flora Wade
- Videographer: Jensen Studios
- Dress: The Bustle
Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Banyon Court Wedding & Regatta Pavillion Reception
We had so much fun shooting Jen & Brian’s wedding!!! These guys have great style and weren’t afraid to break a couple “rules” at their wedding! Brian and his groomsmen wore teal and purple Nike kicks along with their tuxes to match the wedding colors while Jen’s wedding dress was downright glamorous. They knew when to keep it simple, and when to add a little something extra. For example, they kept the bridesmaids’ dresses a chic gun-metal gray while having the girls wear bright purple heels– elegant, yet sassy! Throughout the wedding decor, they incorporated a mix of modern luxury with a hint of casual fun to compliment their personalities.
We were amazed at the sheer number of friends and family who absolutely adore Jen & Brian. How on earth anyone can make the time to be such good friends with so many people is somewhat mind boggling, and very inspiring to see!
The Mission Bay Hyatt is a great location to have your wedding, especially if you have a lot of people arriving from out of town. They have beautiful rooms, pristine grounds, and the location on Mission Bay couldn’t be better. We loved how the sunset light came through the trees at the Banyon Court during the ceremony, and the luxurious white fabric ceiling & lighting in the Regatta Pavillion created a romantic setting for the reception.
We also had the pleasure of working with the guys from 4120 Weddings… they are very professional and super-creative!
Anyway, thanks to Jen & Brian for being such wonderful clients! You can add us to the long list of people who adore you ;)
Location & Catering: Hyatt Regency Mission Bay
Videographers: 4120 Weddings
Officiant: Jelynn Rodriguez (check out her new music video!)
Dress: St. Patrick Babieca from Bridal and Veil Mission Valley
Hair: Erin Fong
Make-Up: Jenny Cortez
Cake: The French Gourmet Wedding Cakes
The Littlest Supermodel
A couple of weeks ago we shot with America’s Next Supermodel! She’s not on any reality shows or runways yet, but give her time – she’s only 5!!!
Paige loves being in front of the camera and already has moves to rival most adult models. We were enchanted by her gorgeous personality and electric smile. I couldn’t wait to share a few of our favorite images from her fabulous model portfolio session.
Good luck Paige as you make your modeling debut!
Ashley & Travis – Sunset on the Beach
Days like this make us love our life even more! What could be better then spending the afternoon playing on the beach with two of the sweetest people you could ever hope to meet?!
Ashley and Travis love the ocean and they made a special trip to come and shoot their Engagement session here in San Diego. From the get go, they were up for anything and happily ran, played, and even laid in the waves for us! I love their genuine warmth and how when they look at each other, their smiles just shine.
Congrats you guys!!! We are so happy for you and can’t wait for the wedding!
